“This new program with Belardi Auto Racing is all about assisting young talented drivers any way we can to get them to the Verizon IndyCar Series,” commented SPM co-owner Sam Schmidt. “Santi did a great job for us in 2016, coming just one point shy of becoming an IndyCar driver this year. Brian Belardi has a great history of doing everything possible with talented drivers, like Gabby Chaves and Zach Veach, so we think this is a great fit. Arrow Electronics and their guests will now have another car to cheer for this season.”

“I'm very excited for this combined effort,” offered Brian Belardi. “I'm looking forward to the partnership with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and having the Arrow Electronics name on our No. 5 car. I believe this new collaboration is a great step forward for the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder program. I’m very proud with the fact that our former drivers like Gabby Chaves and Zach Veach will be in this year’s Indianapolis 500, and I know that this new driver development program will help graduate more of the Belardi family into the Verizon IndyCar Series.”

Urrutia and his No. 5 Arrow Electronics Belardi Auto Racing Indy Lights car will take the green flag at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday for the Mazda Indy Lights Grand Prix of Alabama Presented by Cooper Tires doubleheader at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Hinchcliffe and his signature black-and-gold Honda can be seen broadcast live on NBC Sports Network this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

About Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Established in 2001 and owned by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt and Canadian businessman Ric Peterson, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) currently competes in the Verizon IndyCar Series. With a storied history in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires with over 70 wins, over 70 pole positions and seven championship wins, the Indianapolis-based team has also found success in IndyCar with five wins, two Indianapolis 500 pole positions and four poles claimed overall, as well as three top-five finishes in the championship points standings. For more information, please visit spmindycar.com.

About Belardi Auto Racing
Belardi Auto Racing is an organization comprised of experienced individuals in the racing industry with an aggressive growth strategy and a strong commitment to finishing up front. No stranger to winning, team members having been achieving success in both the amateur and pro ranks for over a decade, winning numerous junior formula car races and championships. Based in Brownsburg, Ind., Belardi Auto Racing won the 2014 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship and has scored multiple races wins in both Indy Lights and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, including the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis and prestigious races like the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Toronto Indy, and events at tracks such as the Milwaukee Mile, Pocono, Road America, Watkins Glen and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.